IBs iSLES Oi" S^rMMER. 



will live several weeks without food — consuming meantime we 

 suppose, its own fat. Upon unfrequented and desolate little 

 islands or keys, covered with sand, weeds and hushes, the sea 

 turtles lay their eggs in great numbers, which are incubated by 

 the sun — each newly hatched little reptile thereby, all uncon- 

 sciously, acting the part of the infant Moses in the bulrushes. 

 The turtle as a pedestrian is not a great success, as his four legs 

 are very short and widely separated. But it is apparent from the 

 size of the turtle steaks that he has great muscular 2)ower, and in 

 "paddling his own canoe " in the water, although weighted with 

 a complete coat of mail, he can make very good time. 



The aborigines of the island of Cuba captured the sea turtle 

 by a process novel and ingenious. Tying a long cord to the tail 

 of a sucker-fish, which the Spaniards called the reves, (of the 

 Echeiieis genera,) they cast it into the water in the narrow and 

 winding channels frequented by the sea turtles, and the fish 

 first fastening its suckers, which surrounded a flat disc upon its 

 head, upon the turtle's coat of mail, retains its hold until the 

 piscatory captor and captive were safely drawn out of the water. 

 Columbus alleged that the reves would suffer itself to be dismem- 

 bered rather than relax its hold upon its unfortunate victim. It 

 may be presumed that this singular method of fishing for turtles 

 was followed by the natives of the Bahama Islands. Humboldt, 

 in his " Island of Cuba," states that when this new mode of fish- 

 ing was reported in Europe, the story was discredited and con- 

 sidered ''only a traveler's tale." He adds that on the eastern 

 coast of Africa, near Cape Natal, a similar artifice was used. 



The most valuable product of the Bahama waters is the Spon- 

 gida, which yields the sponge of commerce — an article which 

 ministers in so many ways to the comfort and wants of man. It 

 has been growing in popular favor for the past forty years, as its 

 capacity for varied and extensive usefulness has been gradually 



